NFL Playoff Standings 2017: Records, Postseason Scenarios and Wild-Card Review

As it should, the NFL waited until the final game of the regular season to set the playoff bracket in stone. 

Aaron Rodgers made his case for the MVP award by downing the Detroit Lions, throwing four touchdowns in the 31-24 victory and claiming the NFC North.

It helps make the opening-round bracket look downright incredible on the NFC side. Meanwhile, the AFC side has the allure of hosting one or two underdogs capable of making a run at just the right time.

With the march to the playoffs underway, let's take a look at the final standings and examine the first round.

NFL Standings

AFC East	W	L	T
AFC North	W	L	T
AFC South	W	L	T
AFC West	W	L	T
NFC East	W	L	T
NFC North	W	L	T
NFC South	W	L	T
NFC West	W	L	T
** -New England Patriots	14	2	0
y -Miami Dolphins	10	6	0
Buffalo Bills	7	9	0
New York Jets	5	11	0
z -Pittsburgh Steelers	11	5	0
Baltimore Ravens	8	8	0
Cincinnati Bengals	6	9	1
Cleveland Browns	1	15	0
z -Houston Texans	9	7	0
Tennessee Titans	9	7	0
Indianapolis Colts	8	8	0
Jacksonville Jaguars	3	13	0
* -Kansas City Chiefs	12	4	0
y -Oakland Raiders	12	4	0
Denver Broncos	9	7	0
San Diego Chargers	5	11	0
** -Dallas Cowboys	13	3	0
y -New York Giants	11	5	0
Washington Redskins	8	7	1
Philadelphia Eagles	7	9	0
z -Green Bay Packers	10	6	0
y -Detroit Lions	9	7	0
Minnesota Vikings	8	8	0
Chicago Bears	3	13	0
* -Atlanta Falcons	11	5	0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers	9	7	0
New Orleans Saints	7	9	0
Carolina Panthers	6	10	0
z -Seattle Seahawks	10	5	1
Arizona Cardinals	7	8	1
Los Angeles Rams	4	12	0
San Francisco 49ers	2	14	0

Breaking Down Opening Round

AFC

This isn't the normal AFC. Mainstays such as the Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts aren't anywhere to be found—and that's not such a bad thing.

Arguably the best matchup pits the Miami Dolphins against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a contest that is sure to fall into the "smashmouth" category. It's a rematch of a Week 6 affair in which the Dolphins escaped with a 30-15 win while Jay Ajayi exploded for 204 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.

To call the victory a launching pad for the Dolphins would be a gross understatement.

"It's definitely a glimpse of what we can do," quarterback Ryan Tannehill said after the Oct. 16 win, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "Now we just have to show up every week like this."

He wasn't wrong—Miami surged to 10 wins by winning nine of its last 11 and looks like one of the few playoff teams capable of running the ball and beating Pittsburgh at its own game. The Steelers, of course, enter fully healthy after resting Ben Roethlisberger, Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown in Week 17.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

The other matchup isn't as exciting thanks to injury. The Oakland Raiders won't have quarterback Derek Carr on the field for a game against the Houston Texans. It's a huge blow considering he threw a trio of touchdowns in a 27-20 victory against these Texans in Week 11.

Weak division or not, the Texans closed the season by winning three of four and must love the fact the Raiders finished with a 24-6 blowout loss to the Broncos as Carr watched from the sidelines.

With a defense that is permitting only 20.5 points per game, the Texans have an easier-than-expected path to advancement. If a talented ground game led by Lamar Miller (he rushed for 104 yards and a score against the Raiders last time out) can get going, the Texans look like one of those teams that can get hot at just the right time.

NFC

The NFC side is where the real heavyweight bouts figure to occur.

The Lions and Seattle Seahawks didn't encounter each other this year, which should make an opening-round contest in Seattle a great time for everyone involved.

After all, Seattle looked like its usual self this year, winning 10 games but struggling at times against the NFC West and at times getting blown away on the road. Still, the Seahawks are scary at home with Russell Wilson and lead back Thomas Rawls hitting the playoffs at full strength.

Detroit is riding the biggest slump into the postseason, having dropped three games in a row. However, it would be silly to knock the team too much given the brutal scheduling, as the Lions faced the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys on the road before getting a visit from the Packers.

These Lions still allow only 22.4 points per game, and Matthew Stafford led a ridiculous nine fourth-quarter comebacks this year, despite Calvin Johnson's retirement and a running game that averaged 3.7 yards per carry.

Call it an old-fashioned, unpredictable matchup, which is what the playoffs are all about.

Mark Tenally/Associated Press

The other NFC encounter promises just as much entertainment when the Giants and Packers get together.

This one is a rematch of a Week 5 encounter in which the Packers welcomed the Giants to Lambeau Field and took a 23-16 decision behind a pair of touchdowns and interceptions from Rodgers. Eli Manning, meanwhile, mustered an 18-of-35 line with one score.

Much has changed, of course. New York hit 11 wins and closed the season by winning three of four; two of those were impressive, defensive-minded games against Dallas and Detroit. A defense that is surrendering just 17.8 points per game might have what it takes to stifle Rodgers, even on the road.

Then again, maybe not—the Packers, almost as expected, rattled off six wins in a row to make the playoffs, while Rodgers threw 15 touchdowns and no interceptions.

He looks unstoppable, but the Giants know a thing or two about halting so-called unstoppable gunslingers. This might be the best game of the playoffs, with the winner getting the right to move on and take on either Dallas or the Atlanta Falcons—two more teams with red-hot quarterbacks that look like favorites for the Lombardi Trophy. 

Odds according to OddsShark. All scoring info and statistics courtesy of ESPN.com standard leagues, as are points-against info and ownership stats.

Follow Chris Roling (@Chris_Roling) on Twitter.